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Ethanol sales in France saw a significant increase in 2022, as citizens in search of savings turned to cheaper gasoline that contains as much as 85 percent ethanol, according to the association of ethanol and alcohol producers SNPAA.
The sales of biofuel, which contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline and is obtained by processing grains or sugar beets, increased by almost 83 percent last year
.Rising Concerns and Increased Demand
Total sales of ethanol reached approximately 1.47 million cubic meters, an increase of 13 percent from 2021.
The success of last year can be attributed to a number of factors, including rising concern about the war in Ukraine that made prices of fuel soar, and the fact that flex-fuel kit makers were able to meet the extra demand, according to Sylvain Demoures, Secretary General of France's ethanol and alcohol producers group SNPAA.
“Last year’s success is linked to rising concern about the war in Ukraine that made prices of fuel soar, and the fact that flex-fuel kit makers were able to meet the extra demand,” Sylvain Demoures said, according to Reuters.
Cheaper and Eco-Friendly
E85, a biofuel containing 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is the cheapest gasoline on the French market. Although it takes more ethanol to drive the same distance than standard gasoline, lower taxes still make ethanol-based fuel cheaper for drivers.
The use of this type of fuel requires the installation of special equipment to adapt the engine to run on biofuel.
Positive Impact and Future Predictions
France has led the way on E85 by making it easy and cost-effective for motorists to use a fuel that lowers emissions from petrol and flex-fuel cars and showing how a renewable, low-carbon fuel produced domestically can have an impact, according to an ePURE spokesperson.
Demoures predicts that this year, sales of E85 fuel are likely to grow by an additional 25 percent to reach an eight percent market share.